RI, MA EHS Pest Control Blog

It's perhaps one of the most upsetting sights a homeowner can see: a mouse, rat or cockroach darting from under a piece of furniture or kitchen cabinet, scurrying across the room and disappearing.

But where are they most often reported? Here in Massachusetts, rodents are a big problem. The second-highest percentage of respondents who said they have seen evidence of a mouse or rat in their home came in the Boston metro area.

Out of the more than 1.8 million polled, more than 309,000 said they had indeed seen evidence of a mouse of rat. That's 16.86 percent, second only to Philadelphia.

Thankfully cockroaches are seen muss less frequently; Only 35,000 reported evidence of cockroaches. That's 1.91 percent.

This is all according to the American Housing Survey, a review conducted every two years by the U.S. Census Bureau that gives us the closest idea of just how pervasive these visits into our homes are.

The full data from 2015's survey isn't available yet, but statistics from 25 major metropolitan areas were just released. They include the 15 largest areas and 10 other metros.

Respondents were asked if they had seen evidence of a rat, mouse or cockroach in their home in the last 12 months or since they had moved in.

Like any survey, the data shouldn't be taken as any sort of empirical evidence. Rat or roach populations are difficult to estimate across a large area. These numbers show only how many respondents said they had or had not seen one of these critters in their home.

See the full data for rats and mice below:

For more information about how to get rid of rodents safely, call EHS Pest.